I’m willing to bet at least all of us have humored another individual with at least one insincere compliment, word of encouragement, or token of appreciation in the moment before. Whether this was actually to make better the day of someone we feel pity for, just to make ourselves feel a bit better inside, or to take the easy route and avoid conflict, it’s something that extends beyond human interaction. Enter the Mercury Tracer.
Initially a brief Mazda 323 (and Japanese/Australian-market Ford Laser) clone, the Tracer name was soon applied to a version of Ford’s popular Escort (which was still based on the 323’s platform) sold exclusively through slightly higher-rent Lincoln-Mercury franchises.
Allegedly a slightly upscale compliment to the “basic” Escort, apart from not having a stripper base model, the Mercury Tracer was really no more luxurious in any way than the Ford. And really, how many potential value-conscious Escort buyers ventured into Grand Marquis/Town Car-heavy showrooms to buy the exact same economy car with a slightly more upscale aura?
Despite this, Lincoln-Mercury dealers must have been clamoring for a bargain-basement, entry-level vehicle to replace the Lynx, which in turn replaced the Bobcat. Ford’s application of the Tracer name to the Escort must have been the manufacturer’s way of humoring its higher-end division with a pity compliment. After all, it’s not like it cost very much to add some different taillight lenses, a lightbar grille, and a little chrome.
Now I apologize to some of our older readers if they don’t get the reference to the 2004 film, Mean Girls (a somewhat iconic film of my generation), but Ford’s “gift” of the Tracer was just as insincere as a Regina George “compliment”. It’s highly unlikely that Ford expected the Tracer to sell in impressive numbers, and the Mercury Tracer was just another of example of quick badge engineering to milk a little more revenue out of a car by selling it through a different dealer network. Pity. I know, right?
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Although I could do without the commercials, I have always liked the 1994 Mercury Tracer. I’ve always found it more attractive than its twin, the Ford Escort.
The compliment vs. true opinion question struck me at about age 8, and it was car related. The neighbor kid next door was a big ‘Cuda fan, and went through at least three. His best runner was a ’71 or so coupe in red with a black vinyl top, from which he removed the vinyl top, and then added hood pins and wheels (probably Cragar SS). His pièce de résistance was dual wide racing stripes over the hood, roof, and trunk with a black paisley pattern that was see through to the red paint. (At the time, I didn’t know this was actually somewhat Mopar appropriate.)
I was not exactly a ‘Cuda fan at the time, and the paisley racing stripes were just.….too much? I thought at the time I was struggling with an honesty issue when I gave approval to his efforts.
Thankfully, I was just learning to be polite. He was obviously quite proud of his cars, something most CCers can identify with.
Yeah, the Tracer is better looking than the Escort. I have no real world experience with them. I did own a 89 Escort GT. But thats a prior generation.
My mother bought a Tracer of about about this model year for a very important reason – there was a dealership across the street from where she worked. I always thought it was a perfectly fine automobile for what it was – an economy car. Maybe it wasn’t as sporty as some, but hers was bolted together relatively well. At the time, I wished she had gotten the optional lite-up grill but now i realize that was just a fad. There were plastic holes, if i remember correctly, where the light assembly could bolt into.
She had such good luck with the first one, that she went and bought the next generation Tracer as well. The second one had random electrical problems, and pushed her into buying a Hyundai.
What the tarnation is a rust free Tracer doing in New England!? My ex. late baby sitter’s same year Escort rusted to death about 12 years ago in Central New York. I am amazed you found this vehicle and I wonder how the fender got dented? Also wonder if this Tracer is a stick shift. There are not too many Tracers in the Portland, Oregon area, but they are rust free.
Nice piece of blue garbage you got there in the picture. What junk yard did you get it from. That was the common question presented to owners of these P.O.S.
I will say that when purchased new, the Tracer and Escorts did look look mini Ford Taurus & Mercury Sables (so they looked great). They also had great fabric seats and door panels & dash board layout.
However, after about say 4 years of ownership (due to the base 4 cly weak problematic engine/transmission). These El Cheapo’s went down hill faster than Usain Bolt (knew many people that had this model). The Tracers & Escort seemed to strain and struggle just to gain and get up to appropriate speed limits (exclude GT XR Models).
They where no where as refined, reliable, durable, and sophisticated as the foreign imports competition of the same era (Honda Civic/Corolla etc). Proof is that I still see several 92-93 Civics, Corolla, Tercels on the road today, but never do I see the same year Tracers/Escorts. Like never…..
Let me offer a different point of view. The 1991 – 2003 (Zx2) Ford Escort and any related Mercury Tracers were based on the Mazda B platform that underpinned the popular and reliable Mazda Protégé / 323. These cars were all generally well regarded for their purpose of low cost, decent driving, and reliable transportation.
Anecdotally, my brother had a 1997 Escort and it lasted him many years and I think he broke 200K with it – on a modest and maintenance constrained budget. Friends had a Mazda 323 and it lasted them probably 15 years, and it took their young son about 5 years to finally kill it.
I think the conventional wisdom is that the 1991 Escort and Tracer were pretty good cars, vastly better than both the first-generation North American Escort and the contemporary domestic competition. A lot of that was undoubtedly owed to their Mazda DNA. At the time, while it was common knowledge that this design was the product of some level of cooperation between Ford and Mazda, I think Ford downplayed how much Mazda DNA they had (and did a good job of hiding it, in terms of the cars’ physical appearance). In hindsight, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that these were essentially Mazdas that Ford heavily restyled, put its own engines into, and built themselves on their own domestic assembly lines. Ford had of course been turning Mazda 323s into Fords into Australia for years, although most Americans were unaware of that.
They probably were not up to the level of leading Japanese competitors, however, and the 1.9-liter Ford engine that powered most of them was a weak point, both literally and figuratively. At a time when engine technology was causing power outputs to grow by leaps and bounds, the 1.9 was a relic from the ’80s.
We owned an Escort 4-door hatchback that we bought new in 1995, and had until 2007. We had very little trouble with it while we owned it, but the engine grenaded in the end. The good news: we got 12 years of almost trouble-free use out of it, and it died just as we were picking a replacement for it (almost as if it knew what we were up to, and couldn’t bear to be replaced). The bad news: at the time the motor went, it didn’t really have a lot of miles on it for a 12-year old car (it was just under 100K, something like 97K), and its demise torpedoed our ability to use the car as an asset moving forward, either as a trade-in or as a spare car.
” the 1991 Escort and Tracer were pretty good cars, vastly better than both the first-generation North American Escort and the contemporary domestic competition ”
This is very true; was a 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier or Dodge Shadow superior? Outside of offering larger engines, the answer is a resounding no. While the Escort was cheap, it did offer better ergonomics, similar packaging efficiency while being smaller, 4-wheel independent suspension, a 4-speed auto, and if you stepped up to the GT or Tracer LTS, a vastly superior powertrain directly from Mazda. These did win Car and Driver’s 10 best award for 1991, for those unaware.
One of my best friends had a 1993 Escort GT at one point, and that car was very different from what a person would come to expect from an “American” car. Light years ahead of the 1996 Pontiac Sunfire she replaced it with.
My first cars were a ’90 Escort five door followed by a ’95 Cavalier coupe. The only thing the Cavalier had over the Escort was more power. Both were five speeds, but wringing out the Cavalier it felt almost quick where as the Escort was only fast compared to walking. But apart from that the Escort had a nicer interior and vastly more utility with the hatchback. I couldn’t figure out why the Cavalier didn’t have a hatch, something that would have made it infinitely more useful but was not available in any form.
In hind sight, I think Ford was a lot more serious about their small cars. The Cavalier was a rather cynical effort.
I am actually surprised that you have seen Tercels on the road. By that time most people were willing to spend a bit more for a Corolla so not many folks were interested in Tercels
I agree the Civic and Corolla of that era were better then the Escort but I also believe that that generation of Civic and Corolla were Peak Civic and Peak Corolla. The best made. The next generations were steps down in quality from them
the “new” tercels are the old 1gen xA xB scions and the old echo and other platforms. theyre still out there. i own one, and they will be ghetto cockroaches until 2024 at least.
One subtlety that didn’t last long is that this four-door sedan body was meant to be exclusive to the Tracer and the Mercury brand. That lasted about a year or so until a Ford Escort version joined the three- and five-door hatchbacks at the first minor facelift (wagons were shared from the start).
IIRC, the sedan was a Tracer exclusive for one year. I don’t think Ford waited until there was a styling refresh; I think they simply decided that, with hatchbacks becoming unfashionable, offering the Escort only as a hatchback had been a mistake, and the notchback sedan needed to be expanded to the Ford side of the fence ASAP. In fact, for at least the next couple of years (possibly all the way through to the end of the styling generation), they didn’t even “Escort-ify” the rear styling of the notchback sedan body. It featured rear-end styling that was very similar to the Tracer, and noticeably different from the other Escorts.
The Escort sedan hit the market in 1992. It was the cover photo on the 1992 brochure. If I remember correctly, the sedan was only available in LX-E trim, which essentially mirrored the Escort GT/Tracer LTS with the powertrain, the DOHC 1.8L engine and associated suspension upgrades.
I will admit, both the Tracer & Escort of the era shown in the pic you posted from a visual perspective where wonderful “Eye Candy”. They seemed to come in cool fun, but adult taste exterior colors. Great dash board layout. Excellent fabric upholstery on the seats, door panels etc.
They were like mini Ford Taurus & Mercury Sable. The little cars were small but some how when I recall riding or driving one. The interior room was actually slightly above average. Engine/Transmission and other factors is another story though.
The later years had stupid FAKE amber turn signals.
(VW has also been guilty of this in the last decade, for example, with the US-market Tiguan.)
How many other cars with this despicable “feature” can CC name?
oh right, I forgot all about those fake amber turn signals. I remember being behind one the first time and seeing that…. a true WTF moment.
I’m really surprised at the lack of rust on that Tracer. Is that a stock color? I wonder if its been repainted.
I believe that is a stock color, Edward. I remember at the time thinking, ‘I like the color, but I am not crazy about the car on which its painted’. These Tracers in that color were pretty popular around here (the Baltimore area). I had an MN12 T-Bird of the same vintage (’94) in a really cool pearl opalescent color, but would have bought that car in this shade of blue/green if it were available at the time.
“Electric Blue”
“electric youth” by debbie gibson at the time. teal was the rage. ask any honda si fan 🙂
I’m thinking it may be the same Bimini Blue color as this Tempo COAL from a few months back:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1992-ford-tempo-gls-sho-little-brother-that-you-didnt-know-existed/
In some shots it looks more electric than in others. I recall Mustangs coming in this color as well, but not Escorts.
That would be my COAL/Car!!!
Bimini Blue was available on the Tracer until 1993. 1994 it changed to Lapis metallic, which was a little deeper/richer than Bimini Blue.
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/touch-up-paint/mercury/1994/tracer/
“Initially a brief Mazda 323 (and Japanese/Australian-market Ford Laser) clone, the Tracer name was soon applied to a version of Ford’s popular Escort”
….Which was based off the Mazda 323 😛
Mercury had an odd chicken and the egg existence, they could be ahead of the Ford brand, and then when Ford followed their formula after the fact, the Mercury becomes the imitator. Same thing happened with the Cougar in 77, when the Tbird downsized the Cougar was instantly and forever labeled a Thunderbird clone, despite being based on the same intermediate Montego body for three model years prior to the Tbird joining it.
My high school girlfriend had one of these; the seating position was awful; the trans was impossible; it wasn’t braking right and I took it into Auto Shop to diagnose it. We took off the rear wheels to check the brakes and found the most pathetic drums I’ve ever seen, so rusted in place we needed a mallet to remove them; so thin we couldn’t really resurface them. They just simply didn’t appear to work. We attempted to put them back together and that was even harder; to this day I’m pretty sure she was just running on front brakes the entire time. Ugh.
The “Regina George” compliment as metaphor completely fits here. I’m sure Tina Fey would agree.
The ’89 Mazda 323 I owned is one of my favorite cars.
As such, once I found out the Escort/Tracer were based on that platform, I sought them out when in the market for another car. I never found one at the right place/time/condition/price, but seeing this post reminds me that even now (and especially for a 90’s car), I like the way they look.
i had a 94 tracer w/1.9L and 91 escort LXE w/1.8L at the same time. night and day difference just because of the engine and suspension upgrade in the escort. both had the crap 4EAT so the difference would’ve been more pronounced if the escort had the 5 speed.
both died prematurely due to rust but the tracer brake lines were crumbling at 57K miles!
i liked the earlier slotted body color grille on the tracer.
Oh my god Karen, you can’t just ask a Ford why it’s a Mercury!
A friend had one in the same color, and he named it the Nuevo Nova, because it rivaled his 71 Nova for reliability…he managed to get almost 300k out of it, with only normal expected repairs until the tranny went. Interior was in rough shape, and the paint had faded badly, but it did its job without complaint.
+1 for Mean Girls reference.
My parents purchased a 1991 Escort LX 5-door, 5-speed manual. We had that car for many years, and I learned to drive in it. It had the 1.9L engine in it, and was a really fun car to drive. My brother had a 1993 Escort GT as his first car. The extra pep from the 1.8L and the better handling suspension made it an even funner car.
I did like the Mercury-specific tweaks to the styling of the Tracer compared to the Escort, but I actually preferred the overall shape of the hatchbacks to the sedans. One of the ‘franken-cars’ that I have mentally built in my head is a Tracer LTS 5-door. Start with the basic 5-door Escort GT, and swap over the front ends, doors, rear bumper, and drivetrain/suspension onto it from a Tracer LTS.
Like GMs 80s A/B/G bodies and late 80s Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas, this Tracer and its sister and spawner, Escort and Protege, respectively, seem to be “right-sized” automobiles (imo.) For some reason, the bloating of the compacts in the 90s just didn’t feel right. Maybe it was the bulbous bodies of the 5th gen. Civic and successor gen. Tracer, Escort, and Protege combined with their tiny tires was what made them a turn-off. Like being propped up by 4 doughnut spare tires. The equally bulbous Ford Crown Vic and whale Chevy Caprice (sans rear fender skirts) and their proper-sized tires seem more visually pleasing, better proportioned, and more stable looking.
Having said that, my father owned one of the “turn-off” Proteges I’m poking holes at (small tires, champagne paint, mono-tone brown/beige (taupe?) interior with tweed upholstery — dull dull, blah..) and was actually fun to toss around in the mountains, so I guess it’s more than skin deep. Plus it had dual airbags, so maybe the bulbousity was good thing.
Nevertheless, the early 90s Mazda B-platform based (Wikipedia) Tracer and family is still more desirable.
Not sure why someone called these junk…You must’ve lived in a neighborhood of “Non car guys”…Hard to believe every single owner thought these were junk?? 🙁
My dad owned a 1994 turquoise Tracer…Other than brake pads, it never gave him any trouble.
Some young jackass ran a stop sign, thus ending the Tracer’s many years of loyal service.